Wench: A Novel
by
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
adult historical fiction
What an unusual idea for a book! The author calls upon oral history tales about slave owners taking their Black mistresses on vacation to Xenia Springs, Ohio to create a haunting historical fiction work. I think that the author and just about every possible reader will find this to be a fascinating idea to examine in light of the times in which it takes place (1830's - 1850's).
What psychological grip did the slave owners have on these women that they did not try to escape? What would the consequences be if they did try to leave? What would interactions with Freedmen be? What would the white Ohioans think? There are so many ideas to explore.
I don't want to ruin the plot for you, but it is a good one. If you would like to read this on vacation, you will be thanking your lucky stars that you are living in the here and now instead of back then as a slave woman.
Throughout the whole book I kept thinking "This was OHIO! This wasn't Kentucky or Mississippi or some other place? OHIO"! Incredible.
I found myself examining the poster that is reproduced inside of the front. There is picture of Tawawa House courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society. I would like to see the original poster. Sorry about this poor image.
Washington Post article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/21/AR2011012102960.html
If your Ohio library does not already have some copies of this, encourage them to buy at least one. I would recommend it for a monthly book discussion.
